“We have not really designed this building yet. What we’ve showed the planning commission is a concept, upon which we anticipated getting feedback, and now we’re at the point where we’re collecting feedback from everyone,” Rosen said.

Resident questions focused largely on specifics that haven’t been finalized, since the plans are still in a conceptual phase: “how many units, how many parking spaces — they don’t have those numbers worked out yet,” said Assistant Borough Manager John Ernst.

“They’re doing some investigation, some analysis, market study, to find out what the local market for apartments will demand, and then put all of that information together and come back with a little more detail,” Ernst said.

Parking requirements and needs for the building are still being developed, and Rosen said the shape of the building could still change as plans are finalized — but neighbors worried about shadows on nearby homes shouldn’t worry.

“The shadows are a non-issue, because it really doesn’t cast a shadow on any of the neighbors, and we demonstrated that — we brought shadow diagrams that demonstrate where they impact most, and it’s really on the street” and closer to nearby rail lines, according to Rosen.

One neighbor raised the concern that the view of the surrounding area would change once construction began, and another asked about the potential impact on property values.

“I assured them both that, in my opinion, their property values are going to increase, not decrease, because of our project,” he said, and the eight- to 12-month construction period could be inconvenient but lead to increased demand for housing in the area.

Preliminary concept plans proposed in November included an underground parking garage, above a cistern meant to capture rainwater for use in the building, and use of direct instead of alternating current throughout the building, with connections to borough networks in case backup systems are needed.

“Talk about green roofs, net zero energy consumption, sustainable design — they’re all wonderful, and we’d all like to be able to do it, but how do you go about accomplishing that?” Ernst said, listing questions to be answered as planning proceeds.

The project could also require a change to the borough’s zoning map, to expand the downtown overlay district currently in place on adjacent parcels. Ernst said that process would require a lengthy review by the planning commission, and ultimately borough council, to discuss and decide if other properties nearby could also benefit from the same zoning change.

“Nobody wants to do this every time a new project comes into the borough, keep expanding and expanding and expanding” the zoning district, he said.

“Maybe we can use a little bit of vision and foresight, to say ‘If we do this, then three or four years down the road, this particular parcel might be attractive.’ Maybe we jump-start that process by changing the zoning here,” Ernst said.